Design and development

On 18 August 1950, the United States Navy signed a contract for 11 military transport versions of the Lockheed L-1049. The aircraft was to be a convertable troop/cargo transport based on the model L-1049B (which was already being constructed as the PO-2W Warning Star). The R7O-1 would also feature round portholes in place of the rectangular ones on Air Force C-121C Constellations. The aircraft would enter service in the Navy's oldest transport squadron, based in Patuxent River, Maryland.

In November 1951, an idea came about to build a turbine powered version of the R7O-1. This new aircraft was designated L-1249A by Lockheed. In 1954, two R7O-1s (then designated R7V-1) were pulled off the assembly lines for conversion in to prototypes for the new L-1249A. The landing gear was strengthened along with the fuselage and wings of the aircraft. Extra fuel tanks were also added on the wingtips of the two aircraft, increasing the fuel capacity to 7,360 gallons. The wings were also shortened from 123 ft 9 in (37.719 m) to 117 ft 7 in (35.84 m). Last but not least, two Pratt & Whitney YT-34-P-12A turboprop engines, rated at 5,500 bhp (4,100 kW) each, were installed in place of the usual Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cycloneradial engines. The new aircraft was designated R7V-2, and first flew on 1 September 1954. The R7V-2 reached 412 mph (663.05 km/h) making it the fastest tranpsort aircraft in the world at the time. The two R7V-2 aircraft were delivered to the Navy on 10 September the same year.

Variants

Military Designations

R7V-2

Originally designated R7O-2. Four converted R7V-1 aircraft (BuNos 131630-131631, 131660-131661) with a shorter wingspan and powered by four Pratt & Whitney YT-34-P12A turboprop engines. Used by the United States Navy.

External Links

Lockheed Constellation Survivors - A website that explains information and whereabouts of surviving Constellations of all variants. The fates of the four L-1249 aircraft are mentioned in the Q&A section of the website.